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As the Cardinals look to break a two-game losing streak — they have not lost three straight since Bruce Arians became coach — the players called a meeting Wednesday.

Cornerback Patrick Peterson said the veterans who had been around a while — guys like himself and Larry Fitzgerald — just wanted to make sure the message was sent that this was no time to have anyone “tanking it in.”

“Not saying anyone is doing it (now), but we just wanted to make aware to guys we have seen this before,” Peterson said. “We don’t want guys to fall by the wayside, make offseason plans, things like that. We just wanted to call a players meeting, make sure we got that off our chest and make sure that guys who are new to this team understands that. We still have a shot. We still have a shot in this, we just have to take care of business and stop shooting ourselves in the foot.”

Peterson said he thought the message was well-received although he acknowledged everyone will see Sunday if it had an impact.

40 Responses
to “Peterson: Vets get point across in players meeting”

Obviously, I am not hanging out with the team so my opinions about Peterson are based on what little I see or read. No doubt he is an elite cover cornerback. However his willingness/desire to tackle someone is somewhat questionable and makes me question his leadership qualities. I was also unimpressed when he arrived at training camp by helicopter. I’m not sure what message he was trying to send but it had nothing to do with showing up, rolling up his sleeves, getting his hands dirty and getting to work to win a Super Bowl. I would rather have one Adrian Wilson on my team than five Patrick Petersons.

A sure sign of a struggling team … fan posts 2/3 through the season about which players to retain / discard, which free agents to pick-up, and potential players to draft. If the Cards were a competitive team, this would be the furthest element from our minds.

To continue with my 2 cents of an opinion, is that we have been plagued with a poor offensive line, for what seems like forever and then some. We obviously do not have the skill in teaching good offensive line technique. We also do not have the skill set in sniffing out a good or potential offensive linemen. We literally are pathetic when it comes to all phases of harvesting and nurturing an offensive line. The Cards need to seek out the best offensive line coach in the game, and pay this guy and his mini-staff handsomely, and give this guy a free reign.

So apparently the fans think… what, the team should just give up? I think I’ve said before that any team can win on any given Sunday. Look at the Bucs handing the Seahawks a loss after that same Seattle team beat New England! A good number of our losses could have easily gone the other way by stopping an opponent’s play or coming through with one of our own. That’s just the way it happens sometimes.

I’m disappointed as hell with the way this season is going, but I bet the players feel the same way a hundred fold. Pointing fingers at the quarterback or the coaches or at special teams isn’t going to fix anything this season or next. The Cardinals have been special the past few years because of the way the team comes together, through good times and bad. A player’s only meeting may be the very best thing they could have done, and criticizing the Cards players for calling one seems just plain stupid to me.

There is still time (not much…) to turn things around, mostly due to how very badly our entire division has been playing. We can still catch Seattle, with a little luck. I hope the player’s meeting helps them do this, and I’ll still be rooting for the Cards through the rest of this season. If things don’t work out the way we hope, I’m pretty damn certain that Keim and Arians will look to fix things in the off-season so we can try again next year. But let’s not write off this season yet, it doesn’t seem like the players and the coaches are doing that!

Since when does an individuals tackling ability become the highest standard of measure for their leadership abilities? Do you not see what Peterson and his family accomplished for Tyrann Mathieu? Peterson’s ability to be a mentor and a great example pulled Tyrann back on the straight and narrow, out of the life of drugs and poor choices. Altered his life for the better I would say. He would not be the player he is today without Patrick Peterson providing leadership and direction in life.

Why didn’t this happen 4 or 5 weeks ago when it might have mattered. As I see it, the biggest problem with the 2o16 Cards was the 2015 Cards. A truly magical season on so many levels, that apparently the thought was we brought everyone back so we will do it again. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case. Believing in your own press clippings and TV specials is a very dangerous thing. Hopefully we can fix some stuff via the draft and FA. Still a Cards fan!

Xeano….I did not say Peterson lacks the ability to tackle. I questioned his desire to tackle. In my opinion, he shies away from the physical aspect of the game. PrimeTime Sanders did too and this did not prevent him from getting to the Hall of Fame. I never thought Sanders was a leader on the football field. A personality but not a leader, at least from what I observed, and not someone I would follow. Peterson is probably a good person and, without question, he helped Mathieu find a better path in life. That’s all good but it does not by itself make him a leader as far as I’m concerned. Disagree all you want. We are all entitled to our opinions and I am glad you took the time to express yours.

Washington is weak against the run and know David and Fitz are going to be their worst nightmares; they also know we have a terrible 0-line so will be looking to hit Carson hard, solving their biggest problems in one feld swoop. Our defense, has taken care of Cousins before, and if they keep hitting him hard will rattle him eventually, causing him hurry and throw interceptions. We have the best receiving blocker in the league, we have Greshem and Floyd who are big physical guys who are going to have to step up and get dirty protecting Carson and opening up lanes. The Redskins have been playing good, but are cocky and we need to call their bluff.
Josh Norman has been blowing hard and so PP is going to have to tough out his sore knee or get exposed.
Washington has one of the best line coaches in the league, which has been the secret to their success and Cousins is only as good as the guys around him. WE NEED THIS GAME! Perhaps we needed to be having “Players Only” meetings all along, but I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth if it motivates even at this late date and we can pull an upset. I’ll take it! DON’T QUIT, LET’S SHOCK THE WORLD!

Exactly why you need to go all in in 2017. of course you need a QB of the future. Getting a QB might leave holes at receiver. You can’t draft for every spot. You will need FA.

But for me, I just think I am putting all my eggs into the 2017 basket.

Roll the dice and build around Palmer to give him every opportunity to win it all. Give him another explosive weapon, protect him at center and guards spots.
Fix the defense by finding another CB and LBs.

Worry about the QB in 2018 as we are basking in the glow of a 2017 super bowl.

Plus, if the Oline is solid, you have receivers and DJ is in the backfield, wouldn’t that be an easier situation for a rookie QB to come in on in 2018?

To finish 8-7-1, the Cards will have to win four of the remaining five games.
Is that a reasonable expectation?
I don’t think so based on the injuries and performance of the players and Arians’ coaching so far.
Several weeks ago, I predicted a record of 7-8-1 and that assumes winning three of the remaining five games.
That will not be easy.

While one can appreciate Pat P. trying to emerge as a leader, he cannot be taken seriously as a leader until he starts making tackles that every CB in the NFL is expected to make and he embraces being the occasional punt return home run threat he once was before he decided it wasn’t for him.

What is backfiring on BA right now is how he has enabled some players to get away with playing soft. It creates a double standard. At least BA got rid of Ted Ginn when he was wussing out. The problem is—others have followed suit and are not being dealt with accordingly.

Hi Darren! I’ve heard and read so much about the Cardinals “tanking” it and don’t but into it. For those fans who would like to see the Cards “tank” it, well, I think they are just reacting to emotion. While purposefully losing games would give the Cards a higher draft pick, it’s not something that can happen. First of all, what kind of product would the Cards be providing to season ticket holders if they tried to lose? Secondly, what team would want to a player that was reputed to throw a game; it would be professional suicide? Third, as disappointing as a .500 team record might be, it’s still better than a losing record.

My question to you is have you detected any dissension amongst the players in the lockerroom?

I agree with you in your response to Texascard whole-heartedly! It’s been a disappointing season. We need to reload and build around Palmer. At some point, we ned to draft a QB (and perhaps this upcoming draft is as good a time as any; although I don’t have high hopes for finding somebody in the upcoming QB class). Having said that, who would have expected Prescott to be the cream of the crop? Wasn’t he drafted in the third round?

I’ve read your posts for some time and in my opinion, you seem to to be knowledgeable and level-headed. As a Cards fan, I expect (and demand) that there be no “tanking” of the season. And if there are players identified as mailing it in, then they must be released because no good can come from players that “quit”.

Finally, for some unknown reason…to me at least, teams that have performed at a high level one year, seem to underperform the following year (Superbowl letdown, I believe it’s called). The Cards were one game away from making it to the Superbowl last year, so I’m wondering why should a team that came so close be exempt from that same letdown? Who’d have guessed that the Panthers, Bengals and Cards wouldn’t be among those teams vying for the SB? But what confounds me is that there are a select few teams that seem to overcome the letdown from prior year performances (i.e. Patriots and Seahawks).

NYCardinals–
Not sure where you’re coming from by taunting Cards fans as “crybabies”. When you state that, “What did you think you were getting yourself into becoming a Cardinals fan? Still wet behind the ears, ehh newbies? Don’t worry, soon you can go back to saying you never liked the Cardinals anyway”, you sound like the prototype of a bandwagon fan! Every team has its weaknesses, yet you don’t even have the courage to state which team you support. Could it be that you jump on the bandwagon of whichever team is at the top?

I would dare to state that even the team that you currently support (your cowardliness in failing to reveal that amuses me), wouldn’t even care for your inane opinion and inciteful comments because you’re on today and off tomorrow. And from a fan’s perspective, one like me is worth 1000 of you! So find another page to troll. No room for cowards, or the faint at heart, for you here. On the upside, God forgives even morons! As a Cards fan, I forgive you. It’s probably not your fault, you’re a product of your genes.

My previous observations had nothing to do with his personal life. Since high school, he wanted to avoid a hard hitting style when as a RB, he didn’t like the rough contact, so he opted to become a D back so he had the choice to hit or not.

He shows needy desperation for acceptance, and points to the team effort when he has made numerous costly mistakes. “”It’s on me”” is never in his vocabulary…at least I’ve not heard it.

He is not a shut down corner…and demos that every game when opponents make him play. He is still riding the notoriety of his initial year…since then, except for one other year…?? You can’t pretend leadership…you can’t demand to be a leader. You earn it by example. His contract is preposterous…other team mates know that…be well Cards Fans

Not having Tyrann Mathieu this season has greatly effected our defense, which was compromised from the start. I have been a big fan of his since his days at LSU, but, the HB we see now is nothing like the kamikaze player we had in his first few years, and I have to wonder if the injuries have taken their toll and we’ll ever have the player we thought we had. Then again, I have to wonder how much of his not playing is BA being over protective (while his career stats have plateaued). I know that the party line has been that “locking him up now” was fundamental to the future of our defense, but I have to wonder if his contract now, has led to some resentment within the ranks of the defense. I hope to see him return to his former level of play but,it doesn’t seem that being on the sidelines has helped him return to the “savage” player he always was; other players like Swearinger are having to take the hits and make the plays with the likelihood that their efforts won’t ever pay off. The guys on one year contracts and who are looking at FA have to be thinking about their future which I’m sure impacts their play.
It just seems that Keim’s signature as a GM has been all about signing long shots
in the draft and then tieing up money on players with health issues who “hopefully” will earn it back in the future. What successful company operates like that? Meanwhile, the organization has asked Fitz to redo his contract twice, so they could pay these other guys…and he’s really the only player who’s earning his pay as it is!

Finding a QB after the first 40 picks is tough, but more possible than some think.
The Cowboys have done it twice. Romo was undrafted and now Prescott was drafted at the end of the 4th round.

I mean there is Trevor Siemion (of course he has Lynch looking over his shoulder), Tyrod Taylor, Dak Prescott, Tom Brady, Kirk Cousins, Russel Wilson, and Fitzpatrick all starting for teams, while being chosen after the 2nd round.
That is one out of five QBs in the NFL.

Of course, if you went back and counted how many QBs were picked after round 2 that didn’t make it, I am sure the percentage of guys making it is very small.

I think a good prospect who might fall out of the top 2 rounds and be worth a look is Baker Mayfield. He has a big arm and nice touch.

I think Chad Kelly could be there in the 3rd or 4th round. He is one of those guys that some think is a great prospect and others hate him. Obviously, any team looking at him will need to do their homework.

But I just like Mike Williams as a big, fast downfield receiver who will benefit Palmer in 2017 and the cards for years to come. If Palmer plays like 2016 in 2017, it will be time to move on in 2018.

Hire Tom Coughlin as a team assistant. He can contribute to many aspects of the team, quarterback, draft, WR, offense, defense, and special team. I like the players only meeting and I think if we play as a team, he will win. We made the SuperBowl with a 9-7 record in 2008 and yet we are 4-6-1 right now. We still have a chance, trust the coaches, players, and the Cardinals organization. We also need a better scout team and I believe Keim will learn from his first round mistakes, our draft class did horrible this year and that’s one of the reasons why so many teams are on top of us. In 2008, no one thought that the Cardinals will even make the playoff and this year we are in the same situation. Overcome the hardship, play competitively, aggressively, unity, trust, and awareness. If the team reach these aspects. We will put a ring on out finger. It’s all about All or Nothing. That’s why I like Bruce Arians, Steve Keims, and the players. Because they fix the issue year after year. Wish the best and trust the organization with my heart.

Well, if nothing else, Coughlin would certainly fit in with the age group of our coaching staff! But I don’t see Coughlin taking a position as an assistant. We all know he didn’t want to stop being HC with the Giants. The Giants wanted to move on from him and it was all orchestrated to become Coughlin’s “retirement” from coaching. I wonder if he might still want to be a HC. But I don’t think he is looking to be an assistant.

Always liked Coughlin. Very few coaches did “pissed off” on the sidelines like he did! But that team won two SB’s under his watch, so….he knew how to get it done. And he won one of those SB’s in our house.

Perhaps they could hire Coughlin as an “Executive Consultant” and he could not only provide input on coaching assistance but moreover, provide some consultation to the GM, in recruiting and drafting player and coaching talent leading to Championship teams. He knows how to manage the Cap as well as the internal operation of the NFL. Getting someone like Norv Turner as an OC would also help tweek our offense. Depending on how things go in New York, I would work very hard to get coach Bowles back as the DC or someone of his caliber.
Adding additional wisdom and experience to our current braintrust would give BA, backup and possibly allow him some relief while allowing him to continue working…not an either/or ultimatum.
Having Tom Moore has been invaluable, but we have to consider that we do have the oldest coaching staff in the NFL and, at some point, somebody may want to retire. Job Titles are really less important to these guys who have really nothing to prove or a need to polish their resumes..HC/Consultant/whatever..it’s about the finished product they are able to put on the field.
CARDSNATION: Please be reminded that Steve Keim has been with this organization about 15 years and was Graves right hand before taking over the scouting department and as such as many epic failures besides the recent drafts.
As JTDG reminded he also had a hand in the Levi Brown and Matt Leinert failures and is actually, IMO, Graves 2.0. Having someone like Coughlin would probably help Keim more than anybody.